Get to Known West Virginia University Women’s Rowing Commit, Lauren Keyser

Name: Lauren Keyser

Hometown: Wexford, Pennsylvania

High School: North Allegheny Senior High School

Sport: Rowing Position: Coxswain. In rowing, this is the position in which an athlete steers the boat and also helps keep the other rowers safe during competition.

Commitment: West Virginia University (WVU) women’s rowing. West Virginia University is a public research institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The athletic department competes under the name Mountaineers as their mascot and are members of the Big 12 Conference. WVU is home to over 24,000 students. Why She Chose WVU: “When I went down to Morgantown last fall, I fell in love with the campus and the team. The team is a tight knit group with so much knowledge shared between them. Coach King and Coach Mikie were also very supportive through the process, which made me want to join their program. I recently started talking to the other commits in my class and have become close to so many of them already.”

Intended Major: Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics When She Started Rowing: “I started rowing my freshman year and became a coxswain during my freshman spring season.”

Athletic Accolades: “My freshman year, we medaled in our women’s novice 8+ at Head of the Ohio as well as coming in fourth place at Huron River Sprints. My sophomore year, I was invited to cox at the boys ODP camp and came in first for both of my races in the fours. My junior year, I medaled twice at masters nationals in Indianapolis and I’m forever grateful to the Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA) for allowing me to row with them. North Allegheny came in ninth for total team points at MSRA 2024 for our highest placing in over a decade. I have also been named a scholar-athlete in each of my three seasons in high school. I was also selected as an MSRA Scholastic Honor Roll Honorable Mention performer.”

Club Rowing Involvement: “I row for a masters team called the Three Rivers Rowing Association. The summer between my sophomore and junior year, I also coxed at the men’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee.”

What People Should Know About Rowing: “Rowing is a sport that is often overlooked, but the work the rowers put in to move a boat is extraordinary. We have practice from the start of the school year to the end, with plenty of racing in between. Rowing isn’t an arms sport, it’s a full body workout and takes just as much mental toughness.” Top Rowing Memories: “I love all my boats, but my eights hold a special place in my heart. My freshman year, eight was a powerhouse in the women’s novice category. So far in our senior year, we brought it back to row as the varsity 8+. Last year, I had the chance to cox the men’s varsity 8+, which was an interesting boat. My favorite rowing memories are the coxswain tosses, which is a tradition to throw in your coxswains if you medal or just at the end of the season.”

A Shoutout to Her Coaches: “All my coaches are so supportive and I’d like to thank them all. Especially Coach Lindsay Feltz, our now head coach at North Allegheny. I’m thankful that she believed in me during my freshman year when I couldn’t do certain things. I’m also thankful for her providing me with so many wonderful opportunities to improve my skills and advance to become a Division I rower.”